Katy Bus Accident Lawyers

Yes. If you are a passenger on a bus, you have some legal protections. If a bus injures someone (like a pedestrian or someone in another car), they do not have the same protections. This is because the law considers buses “common carrier” vehicles. The people who own and operate buses are responsible for showing passengers the utmost duty of care.

If you were hurt in a bus accident, it’s natural to worry and wonder who will handle the expenses that accumulate afterward. As a bus passenger or someone else hurt by a bus, you were probably not responsible for your injuries. With that said:

• Your personal injury protection insurance (PIP), if you opted to buy it, will cover the first portion of your expenses
• The entity at-fault may be responsible for additional damages up to a certain cap
• If you do not have PIP insurance, the at-fault entity may need to cover more of your expenses and damages

If these are your circumstances, you can likely sue whoever caused the bus accident. This may include the bus owner and operator, the driver of your vehicle, or the driver of another vehicle that caused the accident.

No, not every injury sustained in a bus accident will be severe, but this does not mean that those without severe injuries should bypass medical attention. It does not mean that if your injuries are “mild,” you cannot pursue a case. It does not mean that potential compensation after a case will be small, either.

Maybe the school district was responsible for the accident, but this isn’t necessarily the case. When your child is under the care of their school, whether that’s on school property or riding in a school bus, you should expect the school to provide high-quality care. It’s the school’s responsibility, after all. But this does not mean that the school is automatically responsible for anything that goes wrong. Let’s explore:

• Who owns the school bus?
  • Some school districts own their buses; others outsource bus work to private companies
  • If the school district doesn’t own the bus from the accident, the private bus company may bear responsibility
• Who employs the bus driver?
  • Some schools use private bus companies but employ their own drivers
  • At-fault drivers’ employers may be partially responsible for a bus accident
• Did the driver, their employer, or the bus owner violate a duty of care to your child/student?
  • Drivers must behave responsibly behind the wheel
  • School buses need to be properly maintained
  • There are safety precautions that should be applied in school buses (regarding seating, etc.)

Filling a lawsuit against school districts usually proves difficult. An attorney can certainly help you, but you may be surprised (and relieved) to find that a different entity could be held liable for your student’s experiences.

Your medical records will be the cornerstone of your proof of injuries following a bus accident. This is why you need to seek medical care as soon as you can after a crash. It will help ensure that the medical information in your records is accurate—plus, the sooner you begin to heal (or doctors can make a plan for you to heal), the sooner your case can truly begin.

Experiencing a bus accident often takes a significant emotional, financial, and mental toll on someone’s life. Even before you need to grapple with insurance companies, thoroughly document evidence, or head to court, you can feel overwhelmed and unprepared. A qualified Katy bus accident lawyer will make the entire process easier. Even though you don’t have to have a lawyer after a bus accident, it’s one of the best ways to help yourself and improve your chances of legal success.

No. You should not avoid riding on a bus for safety reasons. Even though bus accidents can and do occur, there are plenty of benefits to using buses for transportation. It’s beneficial for our roadways and our environment—plus, it’s a great way to save time and money. Buses are some of the most common forms of public transportation; we’d never recommend that people stop using them. Safely maintained and operated buses are actually very secure. Buses’ large size helps protect passengers. Bus drivers are supposedly trained to operate these vehicles, and Texas bus drivers must obtain a CDL (commercial driver's license.). There are several reasons why riding a bus should be safe.

Why do bus accidents happen? Bus accidents are like any other vehicular accident in this case: an accident can happen for all sorts of reasons. The actual reason behind a crash might not always be what it seems, either. For example: say a bus collides with a passenger vehicle. It was raining and storming out when the crash occurred, so the weather seemed to cause the accident. This may seem like a scenario in which nobody is liable, but...

• What if the driver was distracted or under the influence, and that’s why they couldn’t drive in the weather?
• What if the bus company hired someone who wasn’t fit to drive in inclement weather?
• What if something actually went wrong with one of the bus’s parts?

It quickly becomes obvious that determining the cause of a bus accident is not always easy. This is one of the primary reasons we suggest working with a lawyer. A lawyer will help you collect evidence to prove some party’s liability for your accident in court. Some examples of frequent causes of bus accidents include... Inclement weather or other conditions. Generally, if you hear about inclement conditions on the road, it refers to inclement weather. This may take the form of rain, snow, hail, or even wind—sometimes, fog is responsible for accidents. Lots of different kinds of weather can have a big impact on how safe it is to drive. Inclement weather causes lots of bus and other accidents every year; but inclement road conditions cause their fair share of problems, too. Rough roads, potholes, or inadequate signs all pose a huge risk for people in vehicles. Buses can withstand some of these, but there’s always a risk of damage or an accident in inclement conditions. Driver error. Bus drivers can get into accidents due to driver error just like any other drivers. Anything a standard vehicle driver can do to put themselves at risk, a bus driver can do as well. This includes snacking, checking mobile devices, driving under the influence, or driving while otherwise distracted. Reckless or aggressive driving also constitutes driver error. It sounds terrifying to be on a bus with a driver who displays signs of road rage, but this can and does happen, even in Katy. Fleet, maintenance, or management negligence. Oftentimes, bus accidents that seem to stem from driver error actually come from fleet or management negligence. For example, management at a bus company could easily hire an unfit driver. Fleet managers may also schedule drivers with dangerously long shifts, which puts the drivers and their passengers at risk. Plenty of bus accidents happen because of a lack of maintenance, too. Buses need competent maintenance and routine inspection from dedicated fleet mechanics. When buses are not properly maintained, the problems that result may be a fleet manager or a maintenance worker’s liability. In some cases, the bus company may not adequately schedule maintenance, but this is not something that can be put off. Improper maintenance can prove very dangerous!

You can likely sue the bus operator or owner or anyone else who caused the accident, whether directly or indirectly.

That’s okay! This is one scenario where a Katy bus lawyer could really help with your case. You might not know all the details of the accident, but it’s our job to find out. Most people do not know how an accident occurred, even if they were involved firsthand. There’s plenty to focus on when you get into an accident, and nobody blames you for not realizing how or why the accident happened. A Katy bus accident attorney will use all of the evidence at their disposal to help you determine how your accident occurred. This may include evidence that you collected (like photos of the accident scene), or your lawyer may reach out to other entities to try to gather more evidence (like CCTV footage or event data recorders).

Lots of evidence could establish fault in a bus accident case. Some common examples include:

• Police accident reports
• Statements from other people in the accident, eyewitnesses, etc.
• Documents from the bus company (detailing maintenance, hiring information, etc.)
• Video footage of the accident

Texas laws prevent a person from filing a claim too long after the event that prompted it. You can ask a lawyer about the statute of limitations (time limit) for your bus accident case. If a government bus hurt you, you may need to file a special claim within just 180 days of the accident.

Probably not, but it’s a possibility. The vast majority of bus accident cases can and do settle outside of court. If your bus accident case goes to court, it’s a good idea to retain a Katy attorney who has experience litigating cases in this manner.